Poster boy Brahim Diaz carrying Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations hopes

RABAT – It is hard to escape the gaze of Morocco midfielder Brahim Diaz at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

The diminutive Spanish-born player is everywhere, from city billboards to a multitude of television advertisements, on top of his heroics on the field, where he has become a fan favourite and one of the top performers at the tournament.

A goal from Diaz in each of Morocco’s five games has propelled them to the semi-finals and kept up their desperate search for a first title in 50 years.

But more than his goals, it has been his constant dribbling and teasing of opposing defences that made him the standout player at his first Afcon. In the 2-0 quarter-final win over Cameroon on Jan 9, Diaz added even more to his game, according to coach Walid Regragui.

“What I like is that he didn’t just score, he changed his mentality,” the coach said.

“What he did (on Jan 9) was run, fight and keep possession. He sent a message to his teammates. It’s very important for the team’s morale when you see your best player running like that.

“He can be the best player in the world if he wants to be.”

Regragui’s side next face Nigeria on Jan 14 at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat, with the winners going on to face either Senegal or Egypt in the decider.

Diaz has emerged an unlikely poster boy for the North African country, even if he speaks better English than he does Arabic.

The 26-year-old is from Malaga, born to a father from the Spanish enclave of Melilla on the Moroccan mainland and a Spanish mother.

Manchester City signed him when he was 16 and his entire family moved to England, where his father decided it would be easier for him to use his mother’s name.

At the age of 19, he moved to Real Madrid after 15 senior appearances under Pep Guardiola and while he is far from a regular in La Liga, he is now one of Africa’s leading footballers.

Morocco have long had an aggressive policy of enticing players from their large diaspora in Europe and Diaz was a major catch for them when he switched his footballing allegiance, after winning one cap for Spain in a friendly against Lithuania in mid-2021.

The Spanish media at the time said their national team’s lack of interest in Diaz played a role in his decision and since his Morocco debut in a friendly against Angola in 2024, there has been no looking back for him.

He now has 13 goals in 20 appearances and a cult following that will reach fever pitch if he is to go on and help the country win the Afcon on home soil. The Atlas Lions have clinched the title only once, in 1976. REUTERS